Josh Evans was reinstated by the NFL yesterday, thus ending an eight-game suspension for his repeat violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.

Now the question is, can he show enough in the next two weeks of practice to prove he can help the Jets this season?

If he does, he’ll be added to the roster. If he doesn’t, he’ll be released.

There’s a hesitation about bringing Evans back on to the roster, according to team sources, because the coaches don’t want to have to release a young player to make room.

There, too, is the question about whether it’s worth trying to rush Evans back for the last six games of the season if the team is out of the playoff picture, which is essentially the case right now.

Evans, who lost out on a $3 million bonus when he was suspended, will return to practice today. It’s believed that he’ll be practicing these next two weeks making no salary at all and then, if the Jets like what they see and want to activate him, they’ll pay him the league minimum for the rest of the season.

“For me, [losing the money] wasn’t hard at all,” Evans said yesterday. “I do care about money, but I love the game. I put myself in this situation. I feel like, given the opportunity, I’ll make the money back.”

Herman Edwards said Evans will start out working with the “look team” in practice “and get himself into game shape.”

“Good players find a way to get on to the football field,” Edwards said.

Evans, who was signed by the Jets as a free agent before the 2002 season, was suspended in the spring as a third-time offender of the substance abuse policy.